Sitting Can Be Good for the

Circulatory System
HOW TH E E M BODY® CHAI R LOWE RS H EART RATE

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause as a significant contributor to this deadly disease.
of death and morbidity in industrialized nations, / See Figure 1 / For
people increasingly seduced by
accounting for about 50 percent of all deaths. Since computer technology—and the sedentary positions it
the 1970s, the prevalence, incidence, and mortality encourages—seating solutions that benefit the heart
of chronic heart failure have increased (National might help lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases,
Institute of Health, 2005), with physical inactivity and ultimately improve people’s health.

Z Solution Essay / 2008

 100 female Heart rate is increasingly considered an independent risk factor
male of cardiovascular disease (Ferrari et al., 2005), meaning it has a
80 significant contribution—among established risk factors—to an
outcome like cardiovascular disease. Based on a study of 25,000
Percent of 60 patients, resting heart rate was shown to be an independent
Population
risk predictor of cardiovascular mortalities (Diaz et al., 2005). A
40 reduction in heart rate decreases the work of the heart; therefore,
it decreases oxygen demand and energy needs of the heart while
20 simultaneously resulting in an increase in coronary blood flow.
That is, as resting heart rate decreases, the risk of death from
0 cardiovascular disease decreases.
Ages 20–39 40–59 60–79 80+
In addition to lowering risk, a decrease in heart rate can improve
/ Figure 1 / Prevalence of Cardiovascular Diseases in Adults Age 20 and cognition. When people feel better, they are less distracted by
Older by Age and Sex: 1999–2004 Source: NCHS and NHLBI. their physical state, which can lead to better performance. A
relationship between heart rate and cognition was suggested by
What We Know research conducted in the 1960s and 1970s, which revealed that a
Physical inactivity is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, deceleration in heart rate during the anticipatory period preceding
and it is becoming increasingly prevalent. It ranks similarly to a task was associated with improved cognitive performance
cigarette smoking, high blood pressure, and elevated cholesterol (McCraty et al., 2006). And in the 1980s, researchers learned that
as contributors to heart ailments. When a person’s activity level a decreased heart rate allows the brain to receive sensory
declines, the rate of heart disease increases. What’s more, less- information more often, leading to better cognitive performance
active, less-fit persons have a 30 to 50 percent greater risk of (McCraty et al., 2006).
developing high blood pressure (New York State Department of
Health, 2008). Only 30.9 percent of U.S. adults report engaging in Therefore
leisure-time physical activity (American Heart Association, 2008). People who don’t engage in regular physical activity, and who spend
/ See Figure 2 / More than ever, people are opting for sedentary a lot of time sitting, are already at risk for cardiovascular disease. If
activities rather than active ones. they can lower their heart rate, they can reduce their risk (Freedman,
2008). It’s not only a health-positive factor, meaning that lowering
Population Group Prevalence 2006 the heart rate can improve one’s health, but also a benefit to one’s
ability to think, since reduced heart rate is associated with improved
Total Population 30.9% cognitive performance.
Total Males 33.1%
Total Females 28.9% Design Problem
NH White-only 33.7% Work—and play—have changed dramatically since the early 1990s
NH Black-only 25.3% as technology has come to dominate people’s lifestyles. People tend
Hispanic or Latino 22.6% to sit too long without moving. In fact, many chairs restrict the body’s
movement. Ultimately the sitter’s internal systems can be affected.
/ Figure 2 / Regular Leisure-time Physical Activity (Note: Regular physical
activity is defined as light–moderate activity for N 30 minutes, N 5 times One approach to promoting movement in a work chair would be
per week; or vigorous activity for N 20 minutes, N 3 times per week.)
to design one with a dynamic seat and backrest. Doing so would
NH = non-Hispanic
Source: NHIS 2004. Data are age-adjusted for adults age 18+.

Z Sitting Can Be Good for the Circulatory System Solution Essay / 2

require a surface that automatically conforms to a sitter’s micro- Embody’s narrow backrest, which was inspired by the human
movements and distributes weight evenly. This would allow the seat spine, instinctively adapts to the unique shape and movement
to take on the greater burden of supporting more weight while of the sitter’s spine. It allows people to move freely and naturally,
providing stability. It would also reduce seated pressure and increase automatically adjusting to changes in position and the full range of
blood circulation to improve oxygen flow and decrease heart rate. postures. It supports the sitter during large, active movements as
well as smaller, passive ones. A sitter’s arms can move unimpeded
Another design aspect that would promote movement is the shape back and forth, which encourages additional air movement into the
of the backrest. A work chair with an upwardly tapered backrest lungs. / See Figure 3 /
would provide more flexibility to encourage torso movement and
allow the sitter’s arms to swing freely. Free to move, the sitter’s chest Underneath these innovations is the Embody tilt, the mechanism
cavity would open up more than in a chair with a conventional wide under the seat that supports the body’s natural motion without
backrest allows. As a result, unconstricted lungs could enable a sitter creating intrusive pivot points. Freedom of movement with full
to take deeper breaths, thus requiring fewer breaths per minute. support results from the tilt’s three linked support zones: 1)
thoracic, 2) pelvic/sacral, and 3) distal thigh. The zones work
Taken together, these features would promote movement while as a system to encourage freedom of movement and avoid the
seated. And movement, as research has shown, is the key to good problems associated with static postures, such as dehydration of
health. It keeps blood circulating and oxygen entering the lungs to the discs in the spine.
feed the brain so people can think better.
To determine the health-positive effects of sitting in the Embody
Design Solution chair, Herman Miller commissioned a research study that measured
The Embody chair was designed with an innovative Pixelated six cardiopulmonary variables. All subjects (15 male, 16 female)
Support™ system, a matrix of pixels that work together in the seat sat in an Embody chair and a conventional foam-based office chair
and backrest to conform to the sitter’s movement. Its dynamic with a wide backrest. They sat in each type of chair for at least
surface—a mat layer supported by a local spring layer in the seat two hours. During that time, the following metabolic variables were
and “H-flexors” in the backrest—contours to the sitter’s unique shape measured:
to reduce seated pressure while providing stability. • Heart Rate (HR) (beats/min)
• Respiratory Exchange Ratio (RER) (unitless)
The Embody chair’s dynamic • Respiratory Rate (RR) (breaths/min)
surface contours to the sitter’s • CO2 Output (liters/min) (ml/kg body wt/min)
unique shape, and the narrow
• Relative O2 Uptake (ml/kg body wt/min)
backrest allows the arms to
move unimpeded. • Tidal Volume (Vt) (liters/breath)

[Note: Ventilation is RR x Vt (ventilation is units of liters/min); RER is the

ratio of CO2 output to O2 uptake (both in units of liters/min).]

The order of the chairs was counterbalanced so about half the

subjects first sat in the Embody chair and then the conventional
chair; the order of the chairs was reversed for the remaining
subjects. The subjects were experienced computer users who
performed typical office computer tasks while data was recorded
in a laboratory setting. All subjects had to meet qualification criteria,
/ Figure 3 / which included the following:

Z Sitting Can Be Good for the Circulatory System Solution Essay / 3

• Works with a computer for at least four hours per day Heartbeats per
minute
• 18 to 55 years old, inclusive 120
• No musculoskeletal injury or pain that would make it difficult to
participate in the study 100
• Free of respiratory illness, such as asthma Conventional
foam chair
• No consumption of caffeine within one hour before testing 80
• No intake of medications that affect the heart from midnight of Embody
previous day to time of testing 60

Results revealed for both genders that heart rates were 40

consistently lower during a majority of the tasks the subjects Weight 100 150 200 250 300 350 400
engaged in while seated in the Embody chair versus the
conventional chair. Compared with the conventional chair, heart / Figure 4 / Regression analysis, heart rate and weight; as subject weight
rates ranged from 2.6 to 3.4 fewer beats per minute (bpm) for increases, improvements in heart rate while sitting in the Embody chair
become more pronounced.
female subjects sitting in Embody while heart rates ranged from
4.6 to 7.9 fewer bpm for the male subjects (Papanek et al., 2008).
When the heart rate changes are extrapolated to an 8-hour increased, which indicates that the Embody chair appeared to
workday, a 2 to 3 bpm difference adds up to 120 to 130 beats per decrease heart rate more for large subjects than smaller subjects.
hour and over 1,000 beats per day. / See Figure 4 /

Extrapolation of the difference in beats per hour and day was In another study comparing the Embody chair to two chairs
even more dramatic for males. This decrease in heart rate was with foam seats and two chairs with suspension-material seats,
not a consequence of subjective comfort or opinion of the chair Embody—with its innovative Pixelated Support system—performed
or a placebo. Because of the control methods used in the study, better than other seat constructions in maintaining oxygen levels in
including the counterbalanced order of the chairs and all other the tissues surrounding the ischial tuberosities—or “sit bones”—of
variables being equal, the significant decreases in heart rate can the seated subjects (Mahksous et al., 2008). When pressure is
be attributed directly to the Embody chair—a cardiovascular benefit reduced at the sit bones blood circulation is increased to the lower
to the sitter. extremities, which improves the flow of oxygen.

Furthermore, while no statistically significant effects of the chair’s This has two important consequences. First, the improved
design were associated with respiratory rate or tidal volume (the oxygenation of the tissues requires less demand for more blood in
ability to take deeper breaths) for either males or females in the the area. Second, the improved circulation helps return blood back
study, more analysis indicated that the Embody chair may be to the heart (venous return) which makes it easier for the heart to
advantageous from a respiratory perspective for larger subjects, pump (stroke volume). A higher stroke volume allows the heart to
particularly users with a Body Mass Index (BMI) over 30 (defined work at a slower pace (decreased heart rate) while still achieving
by the National Institute for Health as obese). the goal of pumping needed oxygen to the tissue (cardiac output).
Thus, the heart performs more efficiently, pumping the same
Prediction of heart rate from BMI and weight indicated that cardiac output but at a decreased heart rate and heart work.
the Embody chair reduced heart rate when compared to the
conventional chair. In addition, the trend lines marking the Embody Few chairs target the ability to improve physiological function
and conventional chair started to diverge as BMI and weight for people in sedentary—specifically seated—postures. Embody

Z Sitting Can Be Good for the Circulatory System Solution Essay / 4

 New York State Department of Health, <http://www.health.state.ny.us/
is the first chair design that significantly affects heart rate diseases/chronic/cvd.htm> (accessed October 16, 2008).
across a variety of office tasks, resulting in a positive impact on Papanek, Marklin and Freier (2008), “Metabolic Study of Office Workers
the cardiovascular system without altering work productivity. In Using an Office Chair,” Marquette University Departments of Physical
combination with the results from previous studies examining Therapy and Mechanical Engineering, 2008.
tissue perfusion, the Embody chair demonstrates a unique ability PubMed Central (PMC), U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), 2005,
to enhance perfusion to the lower extremities while simultaneously <http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1299322>
(accessed September 12, 2008).
doing so at a decreased cardiac workload. The decrease in heart
work or decrease in heart rate can lead to a decrease in the risk of
cardiovascular disease for those who sit in the Embody chair, even Credits
as they move through the full range of postures. Championing research and creativity in the earliest phases of Herman
Miller’s product development efforts, Gretchen Gscheidle leads the team
that explores unmet customer needs and responds to strategic questions
The world of work—and play—demands more use of technology
identified by various organizational leaders. As the research link in all of
every day. And people are getting more sedentary because of it. the company’s seating introductions beginning with the Aeron® chair in
Sitters who use a chair that’s good for the body by reducing the 1994, Gretchen has a strong record of participation and contribution in
product development at Herman Miller. She is a member of the Human
risk of cardiovascular disease can improve their health as well as
Factors and Ergonomics Society and represents Herman Miller on the
their cognitive performance. Office Ergonomics Research Committee. Her research has been published
in peer-reviewed journals. Gretchen earned a BFA in Industrial Design
References from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and graduated from
Northwestern University’s McCormick School of Engineering with a
Association AH. , editor. Heart Disease and Stroke. Statistics - 2005
Master’s of Science in Product Design and Development.
Update, <http://www.americanheart.org/downloadable/heart/110539091
8119HDSStats2005Update.pdf> (accessed September 12, 2008).
The late Bill Stumpf studied behavioral and physiological aspects of sitting
Association AH. , editor. Heart Disease and Stroke. Statistics - at work for more than 30 years. A specialist in the design of ergonomic
2008 Update, <http://www.americanheart.org/downloadable/ seating, his designs include the Ergon® chair, introduced by Herman Miller
heart/1200082005246HS_Stats%202008.final.pdf> (accessed October in 1976 and, with Don Chadwick, the equally innovative Equa® and Aeron
15, 2008). chairs. He contributed significantly to the design of the Embody chair prior
Diaz, A., Bourassa, M.G. and Guertin M.C. (2005). Long-term prognostic to his death in 2006. In that same year, he posthumously received the
value of resting heart rate in patients with suspected or proven coronary National Design Award in Product Design presented by the Smithsonian’s
artery disease. European Heart Journal, 26, 967-974. Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum.

Ferrari, R., Camp, G., Gardini, E., Pasanisi, G. and Ceconi, C. (2005). Specific Jeff Weber credits his love of furniture design to working with Bill Stumpf,
and selective inhibition: expected clinical benefits from pure heart rate who designed for Herman Miller for 30 years. Weber joined forces with
reduction in coronary patients. European Heart Journal Supplements, Stumpf’s Minneapolis firm in 1989. That led him to his association with
H16-H21. Herman Miller. Weber worked with Stumpf on the Embody chair and, after
“Heartbeat an indicator of disease risk: study,” Danny Rose, Stumpf died in 2006, Weber evolved the design at his Minneapolis-based
Sydney Morning Herald, September 1, 2008, <http://www.smh. Studio Weber + Associates. In addition to the Embody chair, Weber’s
com.au/news/national/heartbeat-an-indicator-of-disease-risk- designs for Herman Miller include the Intersect® portfolio, Caper® seating,
study/2008/08/31/1220121048825.html> (accessed September 12, and the Avive® table collection.
2008).
For more information about our products and services or to see a list of dealers,
Mahksous, M, Lin F. Influence of chair designs on pressure distribution, please visit us at www.HermanMiller.com or call (888) 443 4357 (USA or Canada).
tissue perfusion, and skin temperature, Departments of Physical Therapy
& Human Movement Sciences, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, © 2013 Herman Miller, Inc. Zeeland, Michigan
Northwestern University, 2008. ® L, Aeron, Avive, Caper, Embody, Equa, Ergon, and Intersect are
among the registered trademarks of Herman Miller, Inc.
McCraty, Rollin, Ph.D, Mike Atkinson, Dana Tomasino, and Raymond ™ Pixelated Support is among the trademarks of Herman Miller, Inc.
T. Bradley, Ph.D. The Coherent Heart: Heart-brain Interactions,
Psychophysiological Coherence, and the Emergence of System-Wide
Order. Boulder Creek, CA: Institute of HeartMath, 2006.

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